Sawhorse workbench



April 1953 c. MADDEN I 2,636,526

sAwHoRE WORKBENCH '2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 18 1950 mmvron. 1m 0. MADDEN April 28, 1953 c. MADDEN SAWHORSE WORKBENCH Filed Ju ly 1a; 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNlTED STATES PATENT-OFFICE Ira 0. Madden, Detroit, Mich.

Application July 18, 1950, Serial No. 174,405

The invention pertains to work benches for holding work pieces of various material and more particularly to small handy work benches which are adaptable for a wide variety of uses.

It is an obiect of the invention to provide an improved work bench which is readily adaptable for holding work pieces of various materials in a wide range of positions while working thereon with various cutting, shaping and abrading tools and devices.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a work bench in a small handy form which is convenient for use in home or school work shops.

It is also a further object of the invention to provide such a work bench which will be especially convenient and attractive to stimulate the interest and encourage children and students to learn to work with their hands at the practical crafts.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a work bench embodying a plurality of work holding members disposable in various cooperative work holding relations.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a handy work bench of a convenient small, size and shape which'may be straddled to serve as a rest ng bench for the worker while working upon work pieces held in the work holding devices thereon.

The invention will be more readily understood, and additional advantages and objects thereof will become apparent, by reading the following specification in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein the same reference characters are applied to corresponding elements throughout, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the front end and the right-hand side of the handy work bench;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

- Fig. 3 is a side elevational view showing the right-hand side of the work bench;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the front end of the work bench;

Fig. 5 (Sheet 1) is a diagrammatic view showing how a piece of work is placed across the top of the work holder;

Fig. 6 (Sheet 2) is adiagrammatic view. showing how a board may be held flat on top of the work bench; j r h Fig.1? is a similar-view-showing how a. board maybe held edgewise on the work bench; and

.'.Fig. 8 (Sheet 1-) is aperspective view showing a..modified work holder, in the form of a work 3 Claims. (Cl. 144-286) 2f holding vise, which may be inserted into the front end of the work bench.

' Referring more specifically to Figs. 1 through 4 of the drawings, an embodiment of my work bench is illustratively disclosed comprising a top plate II and a substantially wider shelf-board l3 of a similar length. The top plate. is supported by four legs IS the upper ends of which are fitted into notches provided in the opposite side edges of the top plate adjacent the ends thereof. The legs are secured tothe top plate by any suitable fastening means H, such as screws or nails, and extend downwardly in a diverging relation with the wider shelf-board I 3 secured at an intermediate position therebetween.

In addition to providing a convenient repository for tools, work pieces and materials, the shelf-board It, by holding the legs l5 firmly in a predetermined spaced relation, also serves to make the work bench more rigid and stable. Additional strength and rigidity is provided by end pieces I 8 secured across the ends.

A board holding bench stop I9 is provided across one end of the top plate for holding any board for planing as it rests fiat on top of the too plate. The stop strip I9 is thinner than any board which is to be planed, so that the plane blade will not strike it, and it may be a strip of metal or strap iron, or any other suitable material. This board stop is held in place on top of the top plate I l by means of a pair of pins 2| secured in the stop strip in a spaced relation and projecting from the underside thereof into a pair of corresponding apertures provided in the top plate of the work bench. Pins 2| fit rather loosely into the top plate of the work bench so that the stop can be easily removed or installed at any time.

A slot 23 is disposed longitudinally in the top plate I I of the work bench for conveniently sawing a board which may restacross or length-. wise on top of the work bench.. Disposed coo eratively therewith is an auxiliary work holder 25 of a substantially flat conformation for resting means, such as. a screw 26 passing through this holder and extending down through the slot and provided with a conveniently. adjustable wingnut 27. When the wing nut is loosened,

. this auxiliary work'holder' may bemoved along the slot and rotated on the screw as a pivot. By'

tightening up on the wing nut, the auxiliary work holder may then be clamped in any such selected position which is efiective for holding the work. This operation is facilitated by providing a cross-piece 3|, or a large washer, on the screw below the top plate, as will be readily understood and as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The clamping screw and pivot 26 passes through the fiat auxiliary work holder at a position'whlchis. eccentric in relation to the: true center of the arcuate curved end 28.- This arrangement provides for a useful operation, as

represented in Fig. 6, where turning the holder:

25 on its pivot 26 more firmly secures aboard, or work piece, 29 (shown dotted), against the bench stop I 9 on the rear end of the work bench;

Thi auxiliary work holder 2.5 is .also provided at the end remote from the'-curved"encl','

spaced notches 30 for receiving and holding the ends of boards or other work pieces edgewise thereirnin amanner to be described. Across the top of this auxiliary; work-holder is secured a work holdinggcleat 31.. This is useful for sawing the .-.end. of a piece .of board which may belaid thereacross and held firmly against the cleat. As such aboardmay extend out on either side of the workbench; this i'sva great convenience for both left-handed .and right-handed persons.

A'horizontalwork table 33 is providedwhich may be conveniently adjusted and secured at any desirable level above the top plate for the convenience ofthe. craftsman; who may be sittingv astride the top plate oi the workbench. This is convenient for variousbperations. For examplathe worker may wish to hold a small piece of wood, plastic or other material while working. upon it with a coping-saw.- file or other tool and the front edge of this table. is provided with" a cut out recess or V-shaped'notchd35 where the tool may pass freely while workingon the work piece, as represented in Fig. 5 where work piece Qtis represented in dotted lines- The rear edge of this work holder table. is preferably also provided with a plurality ,of smaller spaced notches 31' and; as represented in .7, the notches 375 may receive andhold one end of any board or workpiece 3S shownrdottedfand the other end being. held in one of the slots-301m. the auxiliary work holder. This is usei'ul when working on. the edges of such'a workpiece.

In order that this front end'workholder table may v be conveniently, adjusted and set. at. various levels to. suit the craftsman, or may be reversed to turn they-notch to the rear, it is supported upon the upper end of a vertical. slide at which passes down adjacent the front end. of the work bench where it isiclampedby a clamp board or bar at and screws .having convenient.- wing, nuts 41. The front end piece is also serves as a guide board .forithevertioal slide board-i. Both the clamp board .43 and the guide boardJHl ex. tend vertically a substantial Ldistancethereby providing eifective and firm. gripping. clamp The work. benchlis provided with a sweeping.

brushfiil which hangs conveniently from a hook 55 in 'the reanxend-of'the work bench... The convenience and. availability ,"of i'such a brush en-l courages'the development of neatness and clean.

liness irrzthe student." Also-'this'brush hanging.

0n the rear end of the work bench together with the elevated work holding table on the front end of the bench imparts the appearance of a horse to the entire structure. This is pleasing and fascinating to students and children who common ly refer to the auxiliary work holder as the saddle as they set astride the work bench.

As Fig. 8 shows, a modified front end work holder is provided comprising a vise board 51 pivotallymonnted on a vertical slide board 59 by hinges 5i secured across'the bottom edge and also under a strip Bil which is secured to the slide board. This clamp board 51 may be firmly drawn HIJ iQthGxflidE board 59 by screws 63 and wing nuts (55. This work holding vise holds a wide variety-.ofzzwork pieces which may be operated upon by many different tools without fear of damaging the tools. The vertical slide board 59 fits; into the clamp on the front end of the work bench where it may be easily and quickly adjusted; and secured at the. desired elevation by releasing. and- .tightening up. thepreviously 6153-! scribed front, wing. nuts-41..

It willbe-seen that I have provided ahand-y work. benchin asize and. form which isconvenlent. for use inhomes-er schools for. practicalpurposes audits. is. also attractiveand fass cinating to interest.- students and children in;acquiring skill and dexterity in the useful arts. Also because of its size and shape, this work-bench maybe utilizedforalt the usual purposes ofian ordinary sawhorse.

What isclaimed. as'the invention is:

1. In a small handy work bench the combination. of anarrow elongated top. plate presenting a fiat upper surface/suitable: for supporting-e board. to be planed. a. fiat horizontal.- position, Iegsextending downwardly from. said top: plate in a, suitable spaced relation to-supportit inla convenient working position, a thin board hold ingbencn stop,. means for removably securing saidboard holdingibenchstop across one end of. said .topplate, an. auxiliary work holder of arfiat shape on top of saidtop plateandhavingiront. and back. edgesconformed .to suitableshapes for holding work pieces,.- an elongated sawing slot insaidtopplate, a pivotal clamping screw passed. through saidauxiliary work holder and said slotin theton plate to hold..said,..auxil-iary work holder at various adjusted positions along the slot. forholding. work pieces against said" bench stop .and said auxiliary work-holder being rec-iv centrically, disposed. relative. to said pivotal clampingscrewso-thatby rotation of said auxil iary work. holderto a. suitable angular position; awork piece .canbe forcibly engaged and'heldby' the edge of the work holder.

2... In. aismall handy worki beach the combinatienv of, a. narrow elongated top plate. presenting a hat upper surface suitable for supporting-a. board to be planed in. a fi-atahori-mntal position, legs extendingidownwardly from .said. top plate in a suitablespaced relation to snpport-it-inza;

convenient working position 'a board sawingslot extending longitudinally in said topiorconvemiently passing the saw 1301 52,! a: board resting in a. firmly supported. position upon the top plate of the work bench, a front endwork holder 'embodyi-nga. vertical slide board, and a. releasable clamp. boardextending vertically on the front end of the work bench beyond said slide-board" securing means shiitably disposedin-isaid sawingrelations for supporting said top plate at a suitable elevation for the convenience of a craftsman to sit and work thereon, a horizontal work holder table having front and back edges conformed to difierent shapes for cooperation with work and tools, slide means extending down from said Work holder table, clamping means extending a substantial distance vertically on one end of the work bench for firmly and adjustably holding said slide means to support said work holder table horizontally and turned in either direction at a desirable elevation above said top plate, an auxiliary work holder, said top plate having an elongated centrally disposed sawing slot, pivotal clamping means disposed through said sawing slot in said top plate to pivotally support said auxiliary work holder clamped at any angular and horizontal position along said sawing slot, and said auxiliary work holder being eccentri-cally disposed relative to said pivotal clamping means so that rotation and longitudinal shifting of said auxiliary work holder to a selected position will cause a work piece to be firmly engaged and held by and between said auxiliary work holder and said work holder table.

IRA C. MADDEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 702,035 Shaffer June 10, 1902 756,137 Peno Mar. 29, 1904 891,080 Krogh June 16, 1908 919,546 Davis Apr. 27, 1909 1,191,687 Gillett July 18, 1916 1,290,637 Moore Jan. 7, 1919 1,469,860 Walper Oct. 9, 1923 1,552,532 Zucker Sept. 8, 1925 1,864,840 Lehner June 28, 1932 1,943,352 Symmonds Jan. 16, 1934 2,478,828 Larson Aug. 9, 19 .9 2,541,508 Fleming Feb. 13, 1951 2,544,532 Hill Mar. 6, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 462,681 Germany July 16, 1928 543,972 France June 13, 1922 

